On Monday, residents of Ruidoso, New Mexico, a village with a population of 7,000, were ordered to evacuate their homes immediately due to a rapidly spreading wildfire. They were instructed to leave without retrieving any belongings.
“GO NOW: Do not attempt to gather belongings or protect your home. Evacuate immediately,” officials from Ruidoso stated on their website and social media platforms around 7 p.m.
Public Service Company of New Mexico shut off power to a portion of the village due to the fire, which had expanded to at least 2 square miles (5.1 square kilometers) at the time of the evacuation order.
The glow from the fire was visible on Monday night from a webcam situated in the downtown area, where lights were still illuminated.
The South Fork Fire ignited on Monday on the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
The Village of Ruidoso is located approximately 75 miles (121 kilometers) west of Roswell, where multiple evacuation centers were established.
An air quality alert was issued for very unhealthy air in Ruidoso and surrounding regions due to smoke.
